Who stood out? Who needs to stand up?
Sheffield Shield 2013-14 review
As the dust settles on what has been an incredible season of Bupa Sheffield Shield cricket, it’s time to identify the personal performances that made the last ten rounds of first-class action so intriguing.
The Standouts
After an injury plagued 2012-13 Sheffield Shield, Marcus North hit back with a vengeance this season, scoring 884 runs at 68 to lead the competition.
North averaged close to three figures in the early rounds, the WA captain scoring three centuries and adding much needed experience to a young Warriors top order.
Despite struggling after the Big Bash break, you’d be a brave man to bet against North in the Shield decider against New South Wales with the classy left-hander a noted big-innings batsman – especially on the kind of seam-friendly pitch expected at Manuka Oval this Friday.
This season was Steve O’Keefe’s second as the nation’s most successful first-class spinner; putting to bed any allusions that 2012-13 was a mere flash in the pan.
O’Keefe took 40 wickets at an average of 20.5 across his nine matches, surpassing last season’s mark by 16 scalps to lead all bowlers.
It was a year for the veterans in Shield cricket and Peter Forrest was no exception. After a slow start to the year, the free-flowing right-hander struck three centuries to lift Queensland to within eight wickets of a Shield final berth.
Forrest ended the year as the competition’s third highest run-scorer, with 823 runs at 68.5.
The Surprises
The most amazing thing about the lanky left-armer’s stellar season is that under different circumstances, it might not even been possible.
Sitting behind Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Nathan Rimmington heading into the season; national duties, poor form and injury opened up the door for Behrendorff who grasped the opportunity with both hands to lead the Warriors attack.
In seven matches, the big quick took 34 wickets at 22.5 to sit fifth on the competition standings.
Originally a member of the CA Invitiational XI that played England at the start of the summer (because he wasn’t picked for the New South Wales first side), Carters went on to score 94 and 40 in that match before appearing in every Blues Shield fixture to follow.
The right-hand bat and part-time keeper scored a competition-equal-best three centuries, led the New South Wales run-scoring and came in fourth across the whole competition with 789 runs at an average of just over 56.
A sharp keeper and classy left-hand bat, Whiteman’s stellar season has many pundits tipping him for a Baggy Green cap in the future. The WA product picked up 39 dismissals behind the stumps, placing him second behind Queensland’s Chris Hartley and tallied 675 runs at 48 with the bat; placing him eighth in the run-scoring.
The Question Marks
Probably the man to struggle most following this season’s move to more batsman-friendly pitches, Butterworth picked up just the 17 wickets at 34 (compared to last year’s 45 scalps at 21) and lacked the pace or penetration to trouble most opposition top orders.
He did however, manage one of the knocks of the season, batting all day to deny the Bushrangers just their second outright victory of the season, notching an unbeaten 107 off 314 balls.
After a solid 2012-13 and the following tours to Africa, England and India, Maddinson was tipped to take the Sheffield Shield by storm in 2013-14, especially with flatter wickets expected across the board.
Instead, the prodigious left-hander averaged 29.5, unable to push on from a highest score of 87.
Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers’ bowlers
In what was a disastrous year all-round for the Victorians, their bowlers managed a league-worst 123 wickets; 33 fewer than last year.
The Test Stars
Nathan Lyon
Lyon is one of those rare beasts that seems to perform better on the international stage as compared to at home. The right-arm offie picked up just the 13 wickets in eight domestic innings at an average of 35.5; slightly worse than his 27 at 32 return in the Baggy Green this summer.
Steve Smith
The man they call Smudge had a season to remember for Australia and he carried that form into the domestic ranks, averaging 65 with the bat and captaining a home final securing win in the last round.
Shaun Marsh
It was another famine or feast year for Marsh, the left-hander scoring 240 of his 361 runs across two of his eleven batting innings – including a gritty 113 in the final round against New South Wales (which itself was preceded by a first innings duck).